Royal Rumble 2000
by frostyfreezyfreeze54
Summary: 30 men. One hero. Who will be the hero that goes to WrestleMania 2000 as the #1 contender for any world title they want? Plus, a Triple Threat Match for the WWE Championship!
1. The Introduction

Hello, I'm frostyfreezyfreeze54. I feel like I've done this way too many times before. Anyway, for a while, I was working on a series of stories entitled WWE Ultimate. These stories involved present-day WWE Superstars and present-day attitudes and culture in situations dating back to 1996. It's a parallel universe, so things are different here. One change is that humanity is 10 years advanced. For example, Facebook and Twitter were rather commonplace in 1998, instead of them being created in the '2000s and then having a major boom before 2010 hit. Interestingly enough, despite the fact that humanity is 10 years advanced, I only use HD sets for some events. I don't use them for RAW, SmackDown!, or ECW. Believe it or not, several of my stories were inspired from what I personally believe to be the greatest show ever put on a TV screen, Arthur. In one story, Triple H is diagnosed with quadrilitis, a little-known (fictional) disease that causes lack of blood circulation in the quadriceps. This is inspired from the Arthur episode where Buster is diagnosed with asthma. However, WWE Ultimate was terminated when the dumbbots (Sonic the Hedgehog reference) that run this site deleted 12 of my stories, including one that I'd been working on at the time, SummerSlam 1999. I then decided to bring The Wrestling Game, a game me and my friend William played in junior high, to life by publishing the stories on this site. However, I lost interest by the second story. After that, I decided to fulfill one of my dreams and give a middle finger to society by creating my own cartoon show (Thank You, Heavenly). However, I realized the impossibility of coming up with new episodes each week. I couldn't handle the responsibility, so I gave up on episode three. Now, I'm back to doing what I do best and love the most: WWE Ultimate. I decided to skip a few stories and head to Royal Rumble 2000. I'm in the rebuilding process, and it won't be the same without those stories, but where would New Orleans be if Hurricane Katrina ravaged them and left them with nothing? A slew of broken people who were too self-sorry to get off their soapbox to heal the wounds and patch up the reparable holes. Well, they didn't give up, and it finally paid off in 2010 when the Saints won Super Bowl XLIV. I REALLY wanted the Colts to win. OK, enough rambling. To fix the confusion that some of you may have, I'll let you guys catch up on what has happened since SummerSlam:

Unforgiven 1999- Edge is defending his newly-won WWE Championship against the returning Randy Orton, who is now a babyface. Edge wins with a low blow and the Spear, but is given an RKO after the match.

Survivor Series 1999- Still WWE Champion, Edge is accused of a crime he know he didn't commit. Every week on RAW for the past couple weeks, "Edge Rules" has been shown in grafitti all over the backstage area. If "Edge Rules" shows up one more time, Edge will be stripped of the WWE Championship and suspended for two months, missing Survivor Series and maybe Armageddon. Orton suggests that Edge get a detective, and leads him to The Undertaker. John Cena suggests that Edge choose Cena's best buddy and DX partner (yes, in this world, Cena is the Shawn Michaels of DX, don't make jokes about it) Triple H. This leads to a standoff between Cena, Orton, Triple H, Undertaker, and other side-taking Superstars. It all leads to an eight-man elimination tag-team match at Survivor Series. Edge will serve as Special Guest Referee, while Triple H and The Undertaker captain opposing teams (Cena, Shane McMahon, and Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat on Triple H's team, while Orton, Orton's best friend and former protege "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, and Cena's fellow tag-team partner (and one half of the World Tag Team Champions) Rob Van Dam serve on Undertaker's team). The winning team will have their captain be Edge's detective. RVD is eventually replaced by Shawn Michaels because on the last RAW before Survivor Series, he was beaten by Cena. This was revenge for RVD betraying Cena and turning heel on SmackDown! three days prior. This was the first SmackDown! on its new channel, UPN. Originally, it was on The WB. This SmackDown! was also live and the new theme song was "Sad But True" by Metallica. At the event, it comes down to Cena and Undertaker. Cena superplexes Undertaker, and both men end up with their arms on each others' bodies. Edge counts both guys' shoulders to the mat, ruling it a double pin and eliminating each other in the process. It is announced that Triple H and The Undertaker will work together. They both find out it is the work of The Edge, guitarist of the Irish rock band U2. Because WWE is a huge platform, it was decided by the band that The Edge would help promote the comeback of the band through WWE. To make up for it, every WWE Superstar is invited to one of U2's concerts (because it affected him most, Edge was given front-row seats) and the band ends up performing on RAW the next week, with their hits "Elevation" and "Vertigo." This storyline received national media attention, and was used as a way to blur storyline and reality together, because in storyline, babyfaces Triple H and Undertaker would never help heel Edge. This PPV was presented by SmackDown! vs. RAW 2000, available on Xbox 360, Xbox, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, PSP, and Nintendo GameCube in stores November 9. It was the first video game under the WWE name, and was not released for the Wii as it hadn't debuted yet. It would, however, debut in March 2000 and eventually phase out the GameCube. It'd compete with the Xbox 360 and PS3 for fanbase support upon debuting. The cover art showed John Cena representing RAW, "Rowdy" Roddy Piper representing SmackDown!, and Triple H representing ECW, despite the fact he left the brand in June. This received negative responses, claiming that The Undertaker should be representing ECW. When asked about it, Undertaker (out-of-character) stated, "Man, I really don't give a (bleep). I mean it's just a damn game. I'm not that good at it anyway. I played as Cena and got my ass whooped, so (laughing) what do you wanna do?"

Armageddon 1999- RAW General Manager Jonathan Coachman, SmackDown! General Manager "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, and ECW General Manager Armando Estrada announce that at Armageddon, two world championship matches will be interpromotional matches, meaning RAW vs. SmackDown! or SmackDown! vs. ECW or ECW vs. RAW. It is decided the World Heavyweight and ECW Championships will be defended in brand vs. brand contests. SmackDown!'s Triple H will defend his World Heavyweight Championship against RAW's Big Show, while The Undertaker (who's sixteen-month contract with ECW expires a week after Armageddon) will defend against ECW's own Tommy Dreamer. Eventually, Undertaker and Estrada are unable to agree on a new deal, and it is later announced Undertaker will be leaving ECW soon and signing a new contract with RAW. The deal is reportedly two years long, officially making the title match brand vs. brand. At Armageddon, in the main event, Undertaker fought Dreamer, with the stipulation that WWE Champion Edge moves to ECW should Undertaker win. Dreamer won due to interference from Fourtune (Batista, Ted DiBiase II, Cody Rhodes, and Dolph Ziggler) which was unseen by the knocked-out referee Scott Armstrong and Dreamer himself. Undertaker's last night on ECW was against Fourtune in a 4-on-1 Handicap Match, which he won. Undertaker then sent all four men off the stage and through a platform 10 feet below. Undertaker then disappeared from WWE television and hasn't been seen since then. As for the World Heavyweight Championship, Big Show defeated Triple H. Instead of taking the title to RAW with him and moving Edge to SmackDown!, GM Austin made Big Show sign a new SmackDown! contract. Although he didn't need to, Triple H moved to RAW, marking his first appearance on the show as a member in more than a year. HHH claimed it's time to "come home."

Now that you're all caught up, it's time for Royal Rumble 2000.


	2. WWE Championship Buildup

On the first episode of RAW in 2000 (January 3), WWE celebrated by giving RAW a new theme song ("Across The Nation" by Union Underground) and a new network, TNN (later known as Spike TV). This reflected the change from USA Network, which had been RAW's home since its beginning back in 1993. Many people hated the change, but got used to it in time. With the Royal Rumble looming, several Superstars were preparing for the annual 30-man battle royal and a trip to WrestleMania 2000 at stake. However, the three world champions (Edge, Big Show, and Tommy Dreamer) were preparing to defend their titles on January 23 in New York City. To determine the #1 contender for the WWE Championship, RAW General Manager Jonathan Coachman arranged a four-man tournament, with the winner facing Edge on January 23. In one match, John Cena faced his old nemesis Randy Orton, while Triple H faced Shawn Michaels. Both matches received rave reviews. Cena beat Orton with the STFU, while Triple H won by hitting a third Pedigree. What's amazing is, all four men were babyfaces! It would lead up to the finals on January 10, with best friends and DX partners Cena and HHH squaring off. The match was interrupted by Edge's Team Awesome partners (Max and Jeremy Buck, who form Generation Me) who were sent by Edge to ensure that neither Cena or Triple H won. Edge came out and announced that the match was ruled a double-disqualification (since Cena and Triple H were both attacked) meaning he will face neither of them at the Royal Rumble. Coachman came out, and announced that while neither Cena or HHH won, neither of them lost! So at the Royal Rumble, Edge will defend the WWE Championship against John Cena AND Triple H in a Triple Threat Match! Both Cena and HHH had smiles on their face while Edge screamed in agony. The next week, with more than half the Royal Rumble field in attendance, Cena, Triple H, and Edge cut a promo together. Triple H claimed it doesn't matter if he wins or Cena wins, as long as Edge loses. Cena was a little thrown off by that statement and talked about it backstage with his buddy. HHH claimed that he only said that to hide the fact that he needed to win. Cena knew HHH wouldn't be content with losing. You see, despite all he has accomplished in his four years of WWE service, Triple H has never won the WWE Championship. It's the only world title he has never gotten his hands on. HHH told Cena that no matter what happens on Sunday, they'll always be friends, but he HAS to win. Later that night, Cena and HHH (as DX, not as two separate people) teamed up to face Team Awesome in a 3-on-2 Handicap Match. DX won, but after the match were assaulted by Team Awesome. DX managed to fight off the attack, but when the dust settled, Triple H struck Cena with a Pedigree. HHH then picked up Edge's title, a microphone and said, "Sorry, Cena. But if anyone's gonna win on Sunday, it's gonna BE ME!" Triple H posed with the WWE Championship. "Gold makes a man do crazy things," RAW play-by-play commentator Jim Ross said. Amen to that. At the Royal Rumble, three men will do battle for the richest prize in sports-entertainment. And only one can leave knowing he has the gold and WrestleMania 2000 is just beyond the horizon. Can Edge survive a bigger challenge than he wanted and keep up his five-month reign? Will John Cena once again climb the mountaintop and take back the title he unjustly lost (at last year's SummerSlam, in a No-Count-Out, No-Disqualification Match, Cena was attacked by Generation Me, resulting in Edge winning the title)? Or will Triple H make his New Year's resolution come true and finally win the WWE Championship?


	3. Royal Rumble Buildup

"Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, children of all ages, it is now time for the (insert year here) Royal Rumble Match!" Do you recognize that call? That's the call that leads you into the premier battle royal of the wrestling calendar-the 30-man Royal Rumble Match. Every year, 30 ring warriors (10 from RAW, 10 from SmackDown!, 10 from ECW, except for when there are surprise entrants like legends) go into the squared circle and fight. Fight for no reason? No, they fight for a chance to headline WrestleMania. The winner of the Royal Rumble receives a world title opportunity at The Grandest Stage of Them All. No matter what brand you're on, you can fight for any title of your choosing. It can be the company's most important title, the WWE Championship. It can be the Big Gold Belt, the World Heavyweight Championship. Or it can be the most Extreme title ever laid eyes on, the ECW Championship. Most Superstars tend to choose their own brand's title, but of course, it doesn't have to be that way. And here in 2000, it is once again time for that chance. The winner goes to WrestleMania 2000 on April 2 in Anaheim. And just like any other year, it was time to see who would be the hero. The one. That certain individual who would punch his golden ticket to Anaheim. There were plenty of recognizable names, such as Shawn Michaels, Randy Orton, Rob Van Dam (who is now face again after working out his issues with John Cena), Batista (who is back from his injuries at the hands of The Undertaker) The Sandman, Sabu, Shane McMahon, "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, and Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat. Christian, who had been in the WWE since 1998 (had performed in WCW from 1989 up until their bankruptcy in 1992) and had yet to participate in a Royal Rumble, had finally been getting significant screen time in late 1999. It carried over into the new millenium, and on the January 7 edition of SmackDown!, General Manager "Stone Cold" Steve Austin announced that Christian would compete in the Rumble match. Talk of the Rumble increased in the coming two weeks across all three brands, with Superstars guaranteeing victory. It even spread to the mainstream media, with celebrities like David Arquette and The Jonas Brothers (at the peak of their career as a group) giving their picks on who will win. On January 12, 2000, the television series _South Park _premiered a special episode entitled "Ready to Rumble," with all the boys of South Park Elementary nearly killing each other over their Royal Rumble picks. Apparently, the boy who predicted correctly would win $5 from every other boy in the contest. Kenny would miss the contest, as he was killed by a jackknife powerbomb from Clyde. Kyle ends up winning, as he picked Van Dam to win. This is a reflection of the argument with the SP writers over who will win the Rumble match. "We were coming up with an idea, somebody mentions the Royal Rumble, and here we are," _South Park _co-creator Matt Stone said, who voices Kyle and also picked RVD to win. Stone's partner Trey Parker chose Michaels, while the majority of the writers (including animation director Eric Stough and voice actor Issac Hayes) selected either Batista or Orton. "Some of us had to do a lot of research on WWE before we could pick our guy," Parker said. The final week before the Rumble, right before the show ended, RAW, ECW, and SmackDown! showed a special four-minute video called "Royal Rumble By The Numbers." This showed important stats relating to the Rumble and historical facts. The purpose of the video, according to CEO Vince McMahon, was to show how important numbers were in Royal Rumble matches. Here is what the video covered:

1978: The very first Royal Rumble match. There were several differences between this Rumble and the one you know today. For one, there were 20 men, not 30. Also, Superstars entered every two minutes instead of 90 seconds. This would change in 1998 (20 years after the first one) after numerous fan complaints. The winner-goes-to-WrestleMania prize also was not in existence. WrestleMania hadn't been invented yet, and the WWF Championship wasn't nearly as prestigious as it became in the '80s. It was also not shown on PPV. This would change in 1989. Instead, the event was shown as a special on USA Network (back when it was known as Madison Square Garden Network). The show took place on January 22, 1978 at the Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Rumble match wasn't even the main event like it is today. "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan would win the Rumble, last eliminating One Man Gang. The first-ever Intercontinental Champion Pat Patterson constructed the idea.

1979: Big John Studd wins the first Royal Rumble with 30 men in it, last eliminating Ted DiBiase. It took place on January 14, 1979 at The Summit in Houston, Texas.

1984: Bret "The Hitman" Hart and Lex Luger are the last two in the ring. Luger's attempt at eliminating Hart with a clothesline fails and both men go over the ropes at the same time. Hart and Luger argued and later fought over who won. Replays showed neither man won the match. McMahon came out and ruled that since both men were eliminated, both men win! That's right. Hart and Luger were named co-winners. This marked the first (and so far, only) time that there were TWO Royal Rumble winners instead of one.

1986: Despite WWF's financial struggles and inability to compete with WCW, it usually took over the ratings and the money during WrestleMania season. "That was the meal ticket," The Rock said in a 1995 interview. "No matter how poorly the company was doing, EVERYONE wanted to be a part of WrestleMania." In order to capitalize on the increasing popularity of WrestleMania 2, McMahon added incentive to the Royal Rumble: The winner will receive a WWF Championship match at WrestleMania 2. Yokozuna won the match, eliminating "Macho Man" Randy Savage last. This was just one of Yokozuna's 11 eliminations, a record that still stands today. At WrestleMania 2 (the first and only WrestleMania to take place in multiple areas at the same time) Yokozuna failed to dethrone champion Hulk Hogan. This was the Los Angeles main event and the overall main event.

1987: "Stone Cold" Steve Austin wins the first of his record three Royal Rumbles, last eliminating Bret "The Hitman" Hart. Although Hart claimed Austin was already eliminated, the decision stuck. In actuality, Hart was right. Austin had been eliminated by Hart himself earlier on, but the referees did not notice (they were attending to eliminated wrestlers Mankind and Terry Funk, as they were fighting each other) and Austin snuck back inside. Austin almost broke Yokozuna's record with 10 eliminations. Due to the controversy surrounding Austin's win, WWF President Jack Tunney arranged a three-way match between Austin, Hart, and Sid Justice (who had made it to the final three) on WWF Superstars the next night. Justice won, and went on to face Hogan (still champion) at WrestleMania III, the biggest WrestleMania of all-time (with a record crowd of 93,173 people) while Austin and Hart settled their feud in a No-Holds-Barred Match (with special guest referee Mick Foley, in his Cactus Jack persona). The match ended when, trapped in the Sharpshooter, Austin passed out from blood loss and Hart won by knockout. Hart refused to let go after the match, resulting in a double turn (Austin turned face and Hart turned heel). The fans started booing Hart and chanting "Austin! Austin!" This is widely recognized as the greatest WrestleMania match of all-time. Justice lost to Hogan.

1988: Now the most popular Superstar in the WWF, Austin returned to the Rumble a year later and won again, last eliminating The Rock. It led to Austin facing Hogan (STILL champion) in a dream match at WrestleMania IV (at new CEO Donald Trump's casino/boardwalk hall known as Trump Plaza) which Austin won. This marked the beginning of Austin's stardom and the Attitude Era.

1989: The first Royal Rumble on PPV. Austin had lost the title before the event, so he had to try and win in his third Rumble appearance. It wasn't meant to be, however. The Ultimate Warrior won the match and faced new champion The Rock at WrestleMania V (Trump Plaza, marking the first time a city hosted WrestleMania more than once, and the first time a city hosted consecutive WrestleManias) Rock beat Warrior and retained the title.

1992: The vacant WWF Championship is on the line, with the winner going to WrestleMania VIII as champion. Entering at #3, "Nature Boy" Ric Flair spends more than an hour in the ring (62 minutes, 12 seconds) and is victorious, last eliminating Sycho Sid (with the help of Austin, surprisingly). This is the first and only time a world championship has been on the line in a Royal Rumble. Because he was the runner-up, Sid received a title shot against Flair on April 5 in Indianapolis, which he lost.

The video also covered several records of the Royal Rumble, which are:

Longest Time Spent In Ring: Ric Flair-1992 (62 minutes, twelve seconds)

Shortest Time Spent In Ring: The Warlord-1989 (two seconds)

Number Of People Who Have Competed In Royal Rumble: 650 men

Most Eliminations: Yokozuna-1986 (11 men)

Most Royal Rumble Victories: "Stone Cold" Steve Austin-3 (1987, 1988, 1991)

First Man To Win His Debut Royal Rumble: "Stone Cold" Steve Austin (1987)

Number Chosen With Most Royal Rumble Victories: #27 (Big John Studd in 1979, Bret "The Hitman" Hart in 1984, Yokozuna in 1986, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin in 1987)

The narrator then says: "Since 1993, 70% of the winners have gone on to score the big one at WrestleMania. And THAT is the most telling number of them all." Scenes of wrestlers participating in the 2000 Rumble are then shown, to the tune of "Hero" by Skillet. Scenes of Arrowhead Pond (the site for WrestleMania 2000) and past WrestleManias are shown after that. It all ends with the narrator saying, "Who will be the one?" Well, who is it gonna be? There are 30 men. But only one can get a world title match on April 2. To find out who that guy will be, stay tuned, because WWE Royal Rumble 2000 starts now!


	4. WWE Championship Triple Threat

The pay-per-view took place on January 23, 2000 at Madison Square Garden in New York City (specifically, Manhattan). New York is always a nice place to host a WWE PPV. The WrestleMania 2000 marquee appeared for the first time. The theme song, of course, was "Hero" by Skillet. The stage setup and graphics were modeled after the 2011 Royal Rumble event. OK, enough talking, let's get busy! As always, the Royal Rumble Match was the main event, so the WWE Championship match was the final match before the main attraction. Edge and Cena received mixed reactions, while HHH intensely walked to the ring showered with cheers. Referee Mike Chioda raised up the title, and the bell rang. As soon as that happened...BAM! Cena nailed Triple H with a clothesline and an FU as retribution for what happened six days ago. Edge and Cena got the party started. Amazingly, this was the same scene that the two men were in a year before, for the exact same title. And Edge was the champion that time also! Edge got the advantage by getting Cena in position for a DDT. However, Cena countered it with a reverse piledriver, much to the shock of the MSG crowd. Cena only got a two-count. Cena prepared for an FU, but Edge kneed him repeatedly and got a flying shoulderblock. Edge mocked Cena by doing the "You can't see me" and almost got the Five-Knuckle Shuffle, but Cena moved out of the way. Cena walked into a suplex by Triple H, and Edge soon became overwhelmed by the Greenwich native's heavy-handed strikes and kicks. Triple H then gave Edge some knife-edge chops, Ric Flair-style. Triple H then sent Edge into the turnbuckle and gave him a clothesline. After a suplex, Triple H got set up for a Pedigree, but Edge countered it into a back bodydrop. Cena returned and threw Edge over the ropes (Royal Rumble style) and sent him towards the announce tables. Cena bounced Edge's skull off the SmackDown! announce table several times (prompting Jim Ross to say, "My God! Cena has gone nuts!") and locked him in the STFU on the table. Soon, Triple H joined in on the fun, and in about 20 seconds, Edge was locked in the STFU and the Ace of Spades simultaneously. Edge kept tapping out, but it doesn't count outside the ring. Cena then got a steel chair and whacked both of his opponents with it. Cena then put the chair on Edge's back, and hit a legdrop. Cena put Edge back inside, and hit the FU. Cena went for the winning cover. ONE! TWO! NO! Triple H broke up the cover and hit the Pedigree on Cena. BAM! "Will he do it? Will Triple H win the WWE title?," yelled an excited Ross. Triple H went for the cover. ONE! TWO! KICKOUT! The 19,231 members of the WWE Universe were whipped into a frenzy. Disappointed, Triple H picked up Cena, who was staggering on his own two feet. The two then started trading blows, while the crowd chanted "This is awesome! This is awesome!" repeatedly. Cena eventually got the upper hand and managed to trap his best friend in the STFU. The hold increased in pressure as time went on, but Triple H refused to quit. "You have to begin wondering, how much more can these guys take?," said Jerry "The King" Lawler. Triple H finally got Cena to release the STFU by force when he reached the ropes. Cena slowly got up, and walked into a Spear. BAM! Edge couldn't make the cover, however, and may have waited too long. ONE! TWO! KICKOUT! Edge began to lose hope. How could he beat these guys? "To be honest, Edge brought this all on himself. Instead of rolling the dice and seeing what opponent he got, he ended up getting two for the price of one!," Lawler said. Edge went to the corner and got set up for another Spear, this time on Triple H. However, Triple H countered it into a DDT. Triple H did the DX chop, then got a microphone. "Are you ready?," Triple H said. The New York audience screamed with enthusiasm, with a large number of them bringing DX glowsticks to the show. "No, New York, I said...ARE...YOU...READY?" The crowd got even more into it. Triple H threw the microphone out of the ring, did his signature pose, and was prepared to finish Edge with the Pedigree. BAM! Triple H made the winning cover. ONE! TWO! KICKOUT! The many fans in attendance were stunned. In this match, all three men have tried to finish off the others, but they just can't do it. "My God, what a slobberknocker!," Ross said. I agree, quite the slobberknocker. Just then, Triple H turned around and was now on top of Cena's shoulders. BAM! Cena nailed Triple H with the FU. The crowd counted up in unison. ONE! TWO! THREE! Surprisingly, Madison Square Garden was quite electric during that count. John Cena had once again won the WWE Championship. Cena was handed the title and broke down, realizing his five-month chase was over. Ever since Edge beat him at SummerSlam, Cena had been screwed out of the title time and time again. But tonight, the Cenation leader is on top as the true WWE Champion. Triple H shook his best friend's hand and the two embraced. This is very hard for Triple H to swallow. But deep inside, he wasn't that upset. He could always enter the Royal Rumble as a late entry. Or he could wait until No Way Out next month and enter the RAW Elimination Chamber. Edge was helped to the back by trainers, unable to make it under his own power. Final result: John Cena def. Edge and Triple H by pinfall to win WWE Championship (FU on Triple H)

NEXT UP:

30-Man Over-The-Top Rope Battle Royal

2000 Royal Rumble Match presented by 1-800-COLLECT

Winner earns world championship match at WrestleMania 2000


	5. 2000 Royal Rumble Match

The very first promo for WrestleMania 2000 aired. It showed scenes of WWE Superstars over the past year and at past WrestleManias. Aerial views of Arrowhead Pond (host of WrestleMania 2000) and the city of Anaheim were also shown. The promo ended with the WrestleMania 2000 logo falling onto the baseball field of Angel Stadium, with the tagline: "April 2, The Party's Over." The song used in the promo was "World War III" by The Jonas Brothers, which was released as a single 10 days before. The production team and McMahon had a meeting to discuss the WrestleMania theme song. Originally, the plan was to use "The Memory Remains" by Metallica. However, the decision was made to use the song for one match only and not commission it for the whole show. "World War III" was decided upon after one member of the production team played the song on YouTube and it went over very well, according to WrestleZone's official website. McMahon also thought WrestleMania could be a great chance to promote the Jonas Brothers, who are huge WWE fans and are also premiering their music video for "World War III" on February 18 as part of a four-hour edition of TRL (Total Request Live) on MTV. The video will air at midnight on February 19. OK, time for the Rumble match. Ring Posts' Kevin Eck stated there are only four men who have a realistic shot at winning: Batista, Rob Van Dam, Randy Orton, and Shawn Michaels. Eck predicted that it would be Orton, because in his mind, WWE has to give Orton another high-profile match, because since his match against Edge at Unforgiven, he hasn't done much of anything and the fans need another reminder of him. Eck also stated that the WWE has really failed at turning Orton babyface, and that he wouldn't be surprised if he becomes a heel again before WrestleMania. Eck counted out Batista because he didn't believe WWE was serious about giving him a push, despite the fact that Vince thinks highly of him. He counted out Michaels because he had been close to winning the Rumble before (runner-up in 1998 and reached the final three the year before) and that if he won, he may not end up winning the title on April 2, or he could lose his spot before then. And lastly, RVD was bypassed because Eck thought it would just throw a lot of people off. SmackDown! ring announcer Justin Roberts welcomed the crowd to the match. He explained the rules: 30 men will enter the match. Backstage, every man competing had drawn a ball with a number on it. That number will be the number they enter at. This is a break from tradition where guys would draw their entry days in advance. Anyway, two men will start the match (the individuals who drew #1 and #2). After 90 seconds, the individual who drew #3 will enter, then the #4, and so on and so forth. Every 90 seconds, a Superstar will enter the ring. This continues until all 30 Superstars have entered the match. You are eliminated when you are thrown over the top rope with both feet touching the floor. The last man left in the ring will be declared the winner and earn a world championship opportunity (the winner can choose between a WWE, World Heavyweight, or ECW Championship match) at WrestleMania 2000 on April 2 in Anaheim. In honor of this year's venue, a free all-access ticket to DisneyLand will also be thrown in. The winner also must choose what title he will challenge for on the February 28 edition of RAW (better known as Decision Day). However, he can decide anytime before then if he chooses. OK, let's get ready to rumble! The #1 entry was Michaels, much to everyone's shock. Ross stated how much of a struggle it is to even make it into the final eight as the #1 entrant, much less win it. Since the Royal Rumble's start in 1978, no one has ever gone the whole match and won as the #1 entrant. SmackDown! color commentator Tazz stated how tonight might be the night and that Michaels performs better when challenged. The #2 entrant was ECW's Jeff Hardy, who just recently had signed a contract with the brand two months ago, alongside his Hardy Boyz tag-team partner and real-life/storyline brother Matt Hardy. The bell rang, and the Road to WrestleMania officially began. Stop 1: New York City.

HBK and Hardy had a very fast pace from the beginning. Hardy hit several high-risk moves in less than a minute, such as Whisper in the Wind and Poetry in Motion. Eventually, Michaels realized Hardy was controlling the tempo, so he tried to stall it by grounding him. Michaels hit two flying clotheslines and a Lou Thesz press. HBK tried to eliminate Jeff, but the Cameron native held on for his life. The #3 entrant, SmackDown!'s "Rowdy" Roddy Piper came out, and throttled the other two. Upset at having his one-year reign as World Heavyweight Champion ruined by Triple H (at last year's SummerSlam, Triple H beat Piper and won the title in what was Piper's "Homecoming Match" as champion) Piper was back to win the Rumble (much like he did in 1998, which led to him beating Randy Orton in the WrestleMania XIV main event to become the WWE Champion) and reclaim his prized possession. Piper disposed of Hardy easily. Not long after, the ring was filled with Superstars, and Michaels was actually one of them. It was acknowledged on the PPV that Michaels had spent at least 25 minutes in the ring. The #20 entrant was on his way. It was The Sandman, who for about the third time in his career, entered from backstage instead of the crowd (Sandman had entered Royal Rumbles two years in a row). He immediately locked eyes with his best friend Sabu, who had entered at #11. The two shook hands and went at it, hoping to earn an ECW Championship match on April 2. "Maybe luck will be on Sabu's side this year," said Ross. Last year, Sabu was the runner-up in, ironically, Anaheim, falling victim to a returning Triple H. Mark Jindrak, a major success story from the 1998 Rumble (reached the final four) entered at #21 and got rid of five men in 20 seconds (Christian, Max Buck, Jeremy Buck, Chavo Guerrero, and Shane Douglas) livening up the New York crowd. "Ladies and gentlemen, if you didn't know, meet Mr. Mark Jindrak," ECW play-by-play commentator Stevie Richards said. His partner, color commentator Balls Mahoney, couldn't commentate the match. He had an ECW Championship match with champion Dreamer (which he lost) and was painfully sore, so in his place came ECW buff Joey Styles. And Richards was right. After his amazing performance in 1998 (where he took out six men and came face-to-face with fellow gifted amateur Kurt Angle) Jindrak slipped off the radar for a while. He won an all-brand #1 Contender's battle royal, faced then-ECW Champion Shane McMahon in a title match at No Way Out, and wrestled Angle in a highly-praised match at WrestleMania, but that's all he'd get. Tonight, Jindrak hoped to impress the boys once again. That is, until the #13 entrant Brock Lesnar took him out. Jindrak was so stunned, he eliminated Lesnar in frustration. Much like Jindrak and Angle, Lesnar is also a wrestling prodigy despite his size. At 6 feet, 3 inches, and 266 pounds, Lesnar is a well-built killing machine. He had honed not only his wrestling skills for years, but his MMA skills as well. Jindrak and Lesnar brawled with each other until referees broke it up. Lesnar was bleeding all over his face and Jindrak had a bloody nose. The #25 entrant was a little shocking. It was Triple H, entering the match late and becoming the last man to receive a ball. He beat out Flash Flannigan, Chainsaw Chuck, and Max The Ax for the spot. This effectively made him the last man to qualify for the match. Triple H tried to make the most of it, eliminating Matt Hardy and Ezekiel Jackson. Apparently, in order to utilize their roster better without relying on legends, WWE called up several wrestlers from developmental (either FCW or OVW) to participate in the Rumble match. They may not win, but who gives a (bleep)? Orton finally arrived as the last RAW entrant at #28, while Batista came at #30 as the last SmackDown! entrant. Van Dam made his way earlier on at #12. Seven men were left in the ring: Michaels (of all people), Triple H, Batista, Shane McMahon, Orton, Van Dam, and Piper. Sandman was eliminated by Jackson earlier on. Piper was taken out by Michaels, as revenge for what happened in 1998. Triple H was inches away from eliminating Batista, but McMahon swept him up by the legs and got rid of him. Batista was plopped on the apron and avoided being eliminated as well. Triple H was extremely pissed off and kicked the steps, another opportunity at winning the WWE Championship wasted. With five men left and Batista dazed, the three babyfaces (Michaels, Orton, Van Dam) decided to narrow the field by taking out the heel McMahon. Realizing his situation, McMahon tried to go through the ropes and run away (whilst not being eliminated) but Van Dam wasn't having it and threw him back inside. Michaels caught him with Sweet Chin Music, Orton turned him around and hit the RKO, and with his fellow competitors cheering him on, RVD hit the Five-Star Frog Splash. Orton got rid of the man with no relation to Vince McMahon. Now, it's time for the final four. The four men who had the best chance to win the Royal Rumble. Batista. Van Dam. Orton. Michaels. Who will go to WrestleMania 2000? The three babyfaces tried to get rid of Batista like they did McMahon. Only, Batista was bigger and stronger. Besides, he's a heel. Numbers don't intimidate him. At first, Batista was dominating the three men. At one point, he hit a spinebuster on Michaels and a Batista Bomb on Orton. Van Dam, who was able to escape and grab a weapon, finally brought Batista down to size with a shillelagh. The shot got the back of Batista's thigh and made him scream in pain. Van Dam hit Batista a second time in the head and threw him over the top rope. Once Batista woke up, he realized he was eliminated and went nuts. "This is ridiculous! This is freakin' ridiculous!," Batista kept saying. This actually became an Internet meme for a while. Van Dam picked up Orton (Michaels is coming to right about NOW) and tried to slam him over the top, but Orton reversed it and Van Dam was sent over, eliminating him. It was now down to two. Shawn Michaels, who came in at #1 and has spent 57 minutes in the ring. Randy Orton, who came in at #28. Only one man can forge on to Anaheim. The two stared each other down as the crowd roared, then at the gleaming WrestleMania 2000 sign. One man rises, the other falls. Michaels went for a surprise Sweet Chin Music, but Orton ducked and caught HBK with an RKO. BAM! Orton got the fans incited as he tried to throw Michaels over the ropes. But Michaels desperately saved himself by having only one foot touch the floor, while he tried to keep the other one suspended by hanging on to the bottom rope. Orton saw this, his eyes widened, and he ran towards Michaels in an attempt to eliminate him. But Michaels backflipped and caught Orton in a headscissors. Amazingly, Michaels remained on his hands while he did this. But Orton used his power to counter it and hit the Starlight Slam. Orton locked Michaels in the Sharpshooter, hoping to wear down his legs so they can't prevent him from getting eliminated. Michaels tried any counter he could, but it seemed futile. Orton eventually let go, since there are no submissions. Orton hit the Hangtime DDT, and then a diving knee drop. With the MSG crowd chanting "RKO! RKO!" Orton decided to give just that to these New Yorkers. Orton pounced on the canvas, waiting to strike. Orton jumped at the chance, but Michaels pushed him away, which sent him off the turnbukle. Orton, now on his knees, was crawling on the bottom rope, while Michaels tuned up the band. Once Orton stood up, it was too late. BAM! The superkick sent Orton over the ropes by force, and the bell rang as Michaels collapsed in the ring. "Here is your winner of the 2000 Royal Rumble Match, the Heartbreak Kid, SHAWN MICHAELS!", announced Roberts. "LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, HBK IS HEADED TO WRESTLEMANIA!", yelled Ross. After being punked out by "Rowdy" Roddy Piper in 1998 and getting nothing but second place, having his dreams dashed from behind in 1999 for a third-place finish, and forced to go the distance this year, it has finally paid off. Shawn Michaels has won the 2000 Royal Rumble Match! "Hero" by Skillet began playing as Michaels stood on the top turnbuckle like every man before him (It is believed "Stone Cold" began the practice in 1987, but the pyro wasn't added until 1994) pointed at the WrestleMania 2000 sign, and watched as pyro lit the sign, the stage, and the ceiling. And now, the PPV is over. In a special Exclusive on WWE's official website, Michaels and Orton shook hands in the ring and embraced. Orton held up Michaels' hand and left the ring to a chorus of cheers. Michaels stopped him with the microphone and said that he couldn't leave without greeting the fans. With HBK, Orton did just that. "Martyr No More" by Fozzy (the second theme song for the event) started playing as the two went around Madison Square Garden taking pictures with fans and signing autographs. WWE CEO Vince McMahon came out and handed Michaels a commemorative hat and T-shirt, now given to the Rumble winner and tailor-made for the man who won. You know how championship teams get hats and T-shirts? Well, this is just like that. You could tell the way Orton looked at Michaels that he knew it should've been him. Ladies and gentlemen, for the first time ever, "Mr. WrestleMania" Shawn Michaels will be in the main event of WrestleMania. To see what plans he has for April 2 (believe me, you either predicted it or it threw you off) and what happens when the WWE Universe is witness to THREE Elimination Chamber matches in one night, read my next story, No Way Out 2000. I guarantee you will not be disappointed! Read on for more!

This is a list of all the Superstars who were in the 2000 Royal Rumble Match presented by 1-800-COLLECT. The list is arranged by entry number. The Superstar's brand is also put there. On another note, according to the Academy of Wrestling Arts and Sciences, Shawn Michaels set a new Royal Rumble record for longest time in the ring. He spent 64 minutes, six seconds. Screw you, Flair! HA!

1. Shawn Michaels-RAW (WINNER) 2. Jeff Hardy-ECW 3. "Rowdy" Roddy Piper-SmackDown! 4. Max Buck-RAW 5. Hardcore Holly-ECW

6. Christian-SmackDown! 7. Shane McMahon-RAW 8. Matt Hardy-ECW 9. Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat-SmackDown! 10. The Brian Kendrick-RAW

11. Sabu-ECW 12. Rob Van Dam-SmackDown! 13. Brock Lesnar-RAW 14. Seth Rollins-ECW 15. Dean Ambrose-SmackDown!

16. Jeremy Buck-RAW 17. Shane Douglas-ECW 18. Chavo Guerrero-SmackDown! 19. C.W. Anderson-RAW 20. The Sandman-ECW

21. Mark Jindrak-SmackDown! 22. Mr. Kennedy-RAW 23. Bobby Lashley-ECW 24. Ezekiel Jackson-SmackDown! 25. Triple H-RAW

26. Desmond Wolfe-ECW 27. Chris Jericho-SmackDown! 28. Randy Orton-RAW 29. Austin Aries-ECW 30. Batista-SmackDown!


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